wonder woman WARDROBE

Do you ever look at your wardrobe and think, “oh my gosh I have so many pairs of jeans! I have so many t-shirts! I have so many clothes that I find it challenging to even put together an outfit!” ?

Well, I’m here to tell you that, you’re not the only one.

Just recently I was at a ladies night and I brought up my idea for a new blog post… the perfect wardrobe. Each woman had differing opinions, at times forcefully strong opinions, about what a perfect wardrobe was. So, I took the information I gathered from each of these women, and did a bunch of research on the internet. With the combination of that and my years of dedication to What Not to Wear, I have created, Mrs. Krusty’s “Everything you need to be a perfectly dressed & happy lady” wardrobe. No more, no less. Now, just so you know, I went into this experimant thinking I was going to come up with the bare essentials wardrobe, wanting to in fact. The Mrs. Krusty’s “you don’t need anything more than these 7 staples and 10 accessories!” wardrobe. Maybe another time, because through my research I was reminded of how much joy a woman gets out of her wardrobe. So, I have made it a wardrobe full of variety, and i’ll bet, still MUCH LESS than what many of you reading have shoved in your drawers and closets. I really hope you find it useful. Please feel free to leave a comment if you have differing opinions… the beautiful women at the party didn’t hold back and neither should you. Some of you may feel that these categories are too big, in this case, feel free to pair it down for yourself. If you find they are too small, I can honestly say to you, with all the sincerity and hypocrisy a girl can have, “You perhaps have too many clothes and should consider pairing down”

9 dresses (this category started much conversation & controversy. ladies are passionate about their dresses)

2 classic black dresses (think winter & summer)

2 semi formal, flirty fun (both in a color that is most flattering to your skin tone or just makes you feel awesome)

1 fancy gown (for black tie event or wedding)

3 summer dresses

1 cozy winter dress (ideal with longsleeves, cashmere)

4 button up shirts/ blouses

2 neutral (I highly recommended white)

1 color

1 fun pattern (plaid or polka dot)

3 cardigans

2 neutral

1 color

5 outerwear tank tops

3 neutrals

2 colours

3 underwear tank tops

3 neutrals (white recommended)

2 sweaters

oh these are your choice. everyone is very particular about the shape and weight of a sweater.

6 short sleeve T-shirts (find what is most flattering on you- crew,boat or v-neck)

3 colour

3 neutral (white is a must)

3 long sleeve T-shirts (these are great for layering)

2 neutrals (white, again is a must)

1 colour

1 hoodie (don’t yell at me! you don’t need more than 1 hoodie)

2 pairs of shorts or capris

1 neutral (like khaki or denim)

1 of your choice

14 pair of underwear (your choice of shape, colour, cut. I highly recommend you match them with your bras though. Something about matching sets can make you feel amazing. Try it, it’s true)

5 bras

1 black

1 white

1 beige (multi-strap/function)

1 strapless

1 fun colour/pattern (for those days you need a sexy pick me up)

1 lazy day outfit (yes, only ONE! a pair of sweatpants and an old tee)

3 workout outfits

3 pairs of yoga pants/shorts

3 tops

6 coats

1 rain coat/or classic rainproof trench

2 winter coats (1 dressy/1 casual)

1 leather jacket (neutral- black,brown, or grey)

1 light summer coat (either beige or a colour that is most flattering on you)

1 jean jacket

13 pair of shoes (another VERY challenging and passionate topic for ladies, so i think i’ve been generous)

1 pair of workout sneakers

1 pair of street sneaks (like converse)

1 pair of rainboots (if you live in Vancouver this is a must:) I adore my Hunters)

1 pair of flipflops/sandles

1 pair of dressy sandles

1 pair dressy knee high boots (black recommended)

1 pair black heels

1 pair nude heels (these lengthen the legs ladies)

1 pair of bright coloured heels

1 pair of ankle boots

1 pair of dressy flats (2 pairs if you wish to replace one pair of heels)

1 winter boot

1 walking shoe (like a blundstone. These are not in my wardrobe, i’m not a fan of them but they were fought for in the “must-haves” round)

1 swimsuit (whether it be a bikini or one piece it needs to flatter you in colour and cut)

1 very well tailored suit (in a neutral that best “suits” you – black, grey, navy)

Ok. Here comes the accessories. I am hesitant to even cover this topic as I am a huge fan of accessories and think if a woman can pair down her wardrobe that she can make it flourish with lots of different accessories. So I am going to make the “must have” accessories list and encourage you to let this part of your wardrobe grow.

3 pairs of tights

1 pair of black

1 other neutral

1 colour or fun pattern

5 hats

1 warm touque

1 rain hat

1 dressy fun hat (like a cloche, or a trilby)

1 casual (news boy or baseball cap)

1 sun hat (ladies, protect that skin)

4 purses

1 day to day shoulder (you can’t go wrong with a medium size from Coach)

1 long cross body (always a good option if you’re doing a lot of walking)

1 dressy clutch

1 big carry-all bag

5 scarves

2 neutrals (1 winter/1 summer)

2 colour or pattern(1 winter/1 summer)

1 silk (that can be tied around neck)

2 gloves

1 pair neutral leather

1 pair warm mitt/glove

1 vest ( I have 2 but i know that a vest is not always a must with people. Give one a try)

5 pair of earrings

1 silver pair of dangly or hoops

1 gold pair of dangly or hoops

2 pair with colour in them

1 pair of subtle studs (such as pearls or diamonds)

3 bracelets

1 plain silver or gold

1 charm bracelet with multi-colour

1 leather cuff (in black of brown)

5 necklaces

1 silver with silver pendant

1 gold with gold pendant

1 pearls (every lady needs pearls)

1 dressy (rhinestones, crystals or diamonds)

1 with coloured pendant of choice

1 ring (every woman has to at least have 1 ring, i have about 15)

Ok, I think thats all. I hope you are inspired by this post. I hope it makes you re-think your wardrobe and find the balance in it. Just remember that everything you have in your wardrobe should flatter YOU and make YOU feel good. When we dress well, we feel well. Fact.

Thanks KJ. I am so happy you like it as you are the queen of the blogs. I think the “outfit of the day” is a great idea and i’m all for it. I’m away right now and don’t have much with me, but that could be fun too… The challenge of fashion in travelling.I shall think on this and I think you should too!

Interesting! Although 5 pairs of jeans seems excessive to me. Different lifestyles, I guess – I don’t like to wear jeans to work, so I only wear them one day a week at most. I’d throw some of those jeans into skirts instead.

Thanks for reading Rachel! Yes, I hear you about the jeans. I think if people really paired down you could do with 2 pair of jeans. One casual, one dressy. I’m a skirt girl, too, and that’s an awesome choice. Exactly what I hoped people would do… make it work for them by replacing rather than adding.

Caldon, you always have a compassionate, insightful world view. Thank you for this. I completely understand what you’re trying to say and I think we do live in an over indulgent society. Like I said in my post, I think that, this wardrobe is MUCH LESS than what most people own if they lay it out on their bed and looked. You may even be shocked by your own collection. I think it is also a good topic to bring up as I am a HUGE advocate of consignment and clothing swaps. Both are a wonderful way to get the feeling of something fresh and new through a form of recycling. This doesn’t work well for panties and socks, but it is fabulous for everything else. My girlfriends and I have one every couple of months and we donate the clothing to the DIABETES ASSOCIATION and we donate our bras to woman in Africa (BRAS WITHOUT BORDERS) to protect women and girls from sexual abuse. A VERY important movement that I am glad to have the opportunity to share on here.
So, yes, I agree we consume too much, and I think instead of rob ourselves from the simple joys of a few pairs of jeans and some beautiful dresses to wear, we should make an effort to recycle, AND to pair down with a list like this and donate the rest.

Weaving, sheering sheep for their wool,growing silkworms for silk,making kente’cloth,and the creation of textiles in general are age old occupations throughout the world that have kept the poor with food in their mouths over the centuries. Your own great grandfather,Caldon,bred & raised the Cheviot sheep in Scotland,selling the wool for weaving fabric, and like other Scots, this kept many a poor child alive,warm and fed. I think Caldon’s post is very important, but the textile industry employs thousands of working class people,as does the clothing industry.

‘It is obvious what the attraction is here for Western conglomerates, The key thing India has to offer the global economy is some of the world’s cheapest labour, and this is the saddest thing of all the horrors that arise from Delhi’s 15,000 inadequately regulated garment factories, some of which are among the worst sweatshops ever to taint the human conscience.

‘Consumers in the West should not only be demanding answers from retailers as to how goods are produced but looking deep within themselves at how they spend their money.’

While I appreciate the debate, and respect all thoughts, it really, at this point has very little to do with my post. Just because you are low down on the chain and get your materials/possessions for free most of the time, doesn’t mean you are not supporting the consumer world. If you really believe strongly in checking with retailers about where things are manufactured (which is a valid idea, and I support it 100%) then you wouldn’t have anything in your house, free or not, that was made in these horrible sweatshops.
My post was meant to encourage and to be positive and to help people PAIR DOWN not consume more.

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